Glossary of Cancer Terms - T-Z

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tamoxifen - an anticancer drug that belongs to the category of drugs called antiestrogens. Tamoxifen blocks the effects of the hormone estrogen in the body. It is used to prevent or delay the return of breast cancer or to control its speed.

testes - also called testicles. The two egg-shaped glands found inside the scrotum. They produce sperm and male hormones.

testosterone - a hormone that promotes the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics.

therapeutic - used to treat disease and help healing take place.

thymus - an organ that is part of the lymphatic system, in which T lymphocytes grow and multiply. The thymus is in the chest behind the breastbone.

tonsils - small masses of lymphoid tissue on either side of the mouth.

tracheoesophageal puncture - a small opening made by a surgeon between the esophagus and trachea. A valve keeps food out of the trachea but lets air into the esophagus for esophageal speech.

tracheostomy - surgery to create an opening (stoma) into the windpipe. The opening itself may also be called a tracheostomy. May be temporary or permanent.

transitional cell carcinoma - accounts for about 9 out of 10 cases of bladder cancer. This type of bladder cancer begins in the transitional cells that line the bladder.

transitional cells - cells that vary in shape depending on whether the tissue is being stretched. The cells may be stretched without breaking apart. They line hollow organs such as the bladder.

transrectal ultrasonography - sound waves are emitted by a probe in the rectum to produce an image, or sonogram, of the prostate.

transurethral resection of the prostate - TURP- an operation in which the surgeon removes part of the prostate gland that surrounds the urethra. TURP is most often used to treat men with non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. In addition, TURP is maybe used as part of the treatment of men who cannot undergo radical prostatectomy because of advanced age or other illness.

transvaginal ultrasound - a procedure used to examine the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and bladder. An instrument is inserted into the vagina, and sound waves bounce off organs inside the pelvic area. These sound waves create echoes, which a computer uses to create a picture called a sonogram. Also called TVS.

tubal ligation - an operation to tie the fallopian tubes closed. This procedure prevents pregnancy by blocking the passage of eggs from the ovaries to the uterus.

tumor - an abnormal mass of tissue that results from excessive cell division. Tumors perform no useful body function. They may be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

tumor marker - a substance sometimes found in an increased amount in the blood, other body fluids, or tissues and which may mean that a certain type of cancer is in the body. Examples of tumor markers include CA 125 (ovarian cancer), CA 15-3 (breast cancer), CEA (ovarian, lung, breast, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract cancers), and PSA (prostate cancer). Also called biomarker.

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ultrasound test - a test that bounces sound waves off tissues and internal organs and changes the echoes into sonograms (pictures).

ureter - the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder.

urethra - the tube through which urine leaves the body. It empties urine from the bladder.

urinary bladder - the organ that stores urine.

urine culture - a urine sample is analyzed for signs of infection.

urine cytology - urine or cells are examined in the lab for signs of cancer.

urostomy - an operation to create an opening from inside the body to the outside, making a new way to pass urine.

uterus - the small, hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman's pelvis. This is the organ in which a fetus develops. Also called the womb.

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vas deferens - a coiled tube that carries the sperm outside of the testes.

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